[Assessment of carcinogenic effect of aluminosilicate ceramic fibers produced in Poland. Animal experiments]

The effect of aluminosilicate ceramic fibres produced in Poland was assessed. The experiment was performed on two animal species: Wistar rats and BALB/C mice. The animals were administered intraperitoneally the studied fibres and krokidolit UICC--in doses of 25 and 5 mg and left for survival. All dead and sacrificed animals were examined histopathologically. Carcinogenic properties of ceramic aluminosilicate fibres were found to be rather weak. Only in 1 (2.5%) of 39 rats under study benign mesothelioma of tunica vagiualis testis was diagnosed. Peritoneal mesothelioma was found in none of 50 mice studied. For comparison the effect of krokidolit UICC was assessed. Krokidolit UICC is characterised by strong carcinogenic properties. It induced peritoneal mesothelioma in 43 mice (44.2%) and in 29 (80.5%) of 36 rats under study.